There is a new leader at the top of the Pigskin Pickers race.
Publisher Kevin Behrens posted a 9-2 record during a week in which the Ohio State Buckeyes and Penn State Nittany Lions were both upset in Big Ten play.
Each Picker selected OSU and Penn State to win their respective games against Iowa and Michigan State.
The Buckeyes looked particularly abysmal during their 55-24 setback, a loss that more or less knocked them out of consideration for the College Playoffs.
Behrens is now on top of the Pickers race where he belongs with a record for the season of 91-31.
He is one game ahead of sports editor Tim Miller and reporter Mac Cordell.
Miller slumped to 7-4 for the week and is 90-32 for the season.
Cordell, who had one time led the race by a whopping seven games, swirled into the tank even more.
It’s a sad story that Cordell has dropped so far like a falling knife to 6-5 for the week and is tied for Miller at 90-32.
Managing editor Chad Williamson and sports reporter Sam Dillon each went 8-3 for the week.
Williamson trails Miller and Cordell at 88-34, while Dillon is still trying to claw his way out of the basement. His season record stands at 83-39.
Reporter Will Channell went 7-4 and stands one game behind Williamson at 87-35.
This week’s guest pickers are Dean Cook, Dave Laslow, Kevin Truitt and Bob Van Hoose.
This is the first week in which we have no high school games on the list as Jonathan Alder fell in the state playoffs to Clinton-Massie last Friday.
Bengals-Titans
Williamson: Titans by 7
Miller: Titans by 6
Behrens: Titans by 1
Cordell: Tennessee by 6
Channell: Titans by 9
Dillon: Titans by 7
Cook: Titans by 14
Laslow: Bengals by 6
Truitt: Titans by 6
Van Hoose: Bengals by 6
Browns-Lions
Williamson: Lions by 12
Miller: Lions by 3
Behrens: Lions by 2
Cordell: Detroit by 16
Channell: Lions by 9
Dillon: Lions by 10
Cook: Lions by 16
Laslow: Browns by 3
Truitt: Browns by 3
Van Hoose: Lions by 10
OSU-Michigan State
Williamson: OSU by 3
Miller: OSU by 7
Behrens: OSU by 3
Cordell: Buckeyes by 24
Channell: Michigan State by 9
Dillon: OSU by 1
Cook: OSU by 3
Laslow: OSU by 7
Truitt: OSU by 6
Van Hoose: OSU by 10
Miami-Notre Dame
Williamson: Miami by 6
Miller: Miami by 7
Behrens: ND by 4
Cordell: Irish by 2
Channell: Notre Dame by 9
Dillon: Miami by 3
Cook: Notre Dame by 3
Laslow: Notre Dame by 7
Truitt: Notre Dame by 6
Van Hoose: Notre Dame by 6
Oklahoma State-Iowa State
Williamson: Oklahoma State by 8
Miller: Oklahoma State by 6
Behrens: Okie St. by 5
Cordell: Pokes by 3
Channell: Oklahoma State by 9
Dillon: Oklahoma St. by 7
Cook: Iowa State by 10
Laslow: Oklahoma State by 6
Truitt: Oklahoma State by 6
Van Hoose: OK State by 7
Oklahoma-TCU
Williamson: TCU by 3
Miller: TCU by 7
Behrens: Oklahoma by 6
Cordell: Sooners by 7
Channell: Oklahoma by 9
Dillon: Oklahoma by 6
Cook: Oklahoma by 12
Laslow: Oklahoma by 6
Truitt: Oklahoma by 7
Van Hoose: TCU by 6
Wisconsin-Iowa
Williamson: Wisconsin by 7
Miller: Wisconsin by 6
Behrens: Wisconsin by 7
Cordell: Badgers by 5
Channell: Wisconsin by 9
Dillon: Wisconsin by 3
Cook: Wisconsin by 10
Laslow: Wisconsin by 6
Truitt: Wisconsin by 3
Van Hoose: Iowa by 7
Alabama-Miss. State
Williamson: Alabama by 13
Miller: Alabama by 14
Behrens: Bama by 8
Cordell: Tide by 22
Channell: Alabama by 9
Dillon: Alabama by 10
Cook: Alabama by 11
Laslow: Alabama by 10
Truitt: Alabama by 12
Van Hoose: Alabama by 10
Georgia-Auburn
Williamson: Georgia by 3
Miller: Georgia by 10
Behrens: Georgia by 9
Cordell: Dawgs by 4
Channell: Georgia by 9
Dillon: Georgia by 6
Cook: Auburn by 12
Laslow: Georgia by 6
Truitt: Georgia by 7
Van Hoose: Georgia by 10
Washington-Stanford
Williamson: Washington by 6
Miller: Washington 7
Behrens: Washington by 10
Cordell: Huskies by 11
Channell: Washington by 9
Dillon: Washington by 7
Cook: Stanford by 3
Laslow: Washington by 6
Truitt: Washington by 3
Van Hoose: Washington by 7
Disclaimers:
Williamson: “Can’t remember a week with three bigger college games than the schedule this week. On paper Notre Dame looks better, but I have trouble picking the Irish in big games. Also Georgia is about due to stub its toe in a big game.”
Miller: “This is the second consecutive week in which a number of ranked college teams play each other. The Buckeyes better find their ‘A’ game. I think ‘Sparty’ made a statement by beating Penn State last week.”
Behrens: “Slow and steady wins the race and cream does rise to the top. Now let’s listen to Cordell cry a river about his poor performance. “
Cordell: “I want to apologize to my fellow Pickers. It has been a rough couple weeks for all of us, based largely on several weeks of my poor picking. K-Behr is now on top and he is a terrible loser. The only thing more intolerable than Kevin when he is losing is Kevin when he is winning. At this point I don’t care which one of us it is, but one of us needs to pull this out or we will all have to live with Kevin for another year.”
Channell: “I have a headache. Is Pickers almost over?”
Dillon: “What a fall from grace. The Buckeyes win a game that by the fourth quarter, people were giving up hope, then the next week they mailed it in. Now it’s Michigan State, a team in recent history that has won games that they have no business winning. I have next-to-no confidence in the Bucks, but this is Pigskin Pickers so I must pick a team to win. It isn’t going to be a pretty win for the Bucks, but I think Urban will give them the pep they need to pull it off.”